Travel!

[brigdh]

So, I am going to London next week! I will arrive this Friday morning, and will be there until 9 days later, leaving on the 18th. I will be spending most of my time at the academic conference which is my reason for going, alas, but I'm going to try to do some traveling and tourist-y things; I'm even planning on going to Wales one day!

Which is why I come to you, o flist: recommend me things to do and see in London! I've been there once before, when I did some of the typical things: Tower of London, the Globe, Westminster Abbey (though it was closed when I was there), Jack the Ripper walking tours, etc. Also, my conference is actually in the British Museum, so I will probably see plenty of that. But everything else that you have heard is cool: tell me about it, please!

Also, if there is anyone in London or environs who would like to meet for coffee/tea/food/whatever, I am totally up for that!

Comments

[rm.livejournal.com]

*pops head in* *waves* *pops head back out*

[torenheksje.livejournal.com]

Any Amount of Books, 56 Charing Cross Rd.(near Covent Garden). Fabulous 2nd hand bookshop with all kinds of everything and a fabulous staff. They'll even ship books home for you, so you don't have to deal with lugging them all back in your suitcase. There's another one down the road, Blackwell's, but I think that's mainly academic books. Which you might also enjoy. :c)

[weirdquark]

The British Museum is awesome. When I was there with my roommate, they had an exhibit of an 18th century collector/library. We probably ogled the books more than the average tourist. We want an 18th century style library! (And will have one, as soon as we can afford to commission bookshelves to fit the space we've got.)

I don't think I have anything to add that you haven't already seen, but I would just like to say that we were in London when the third season of Doctor Who was coming out and watched the Shakespeare episode sitting outside the Globe theater while we waited for our show to start. (If doing the Globe the last time didn't involve seeing a show while standing in front leaning on the stage, I do recommend doing that though.)

[hazard-us.livejournal.com]

I always liked Hampton Court Palace for the Tudor connections and its garden maze.

[penelope-z.livejournal.com]

I love walking on the Southbank, from the London Eye up to the Tate Modern, it's a lovely walk by the Thames, there's always something going on, and on a nice day it's really a joy, going past the National Theatre, the BFI etc. The Tate modern has an amazing collection, if you like modern art, and the view from the cafe on the top floor is stunning.

St Paul's cathedral is also a must, if you haven't been before, and the National Gallery on Trafalgar, and possibly the Royal Academy of Arts. You should definitely try an open air market, Notting Hill is the classic, Camden for a more alternative cheap-y vibe, though I find it too commercial myself, it's full of tourists with fake tattoos, and my favourites are Spitafields by Liverpool street, for clothes and bric-a-brac and Borough market at London Bridge for organic food and delicious smells. Brick Lane for your curry, Hakkasan and Plum Valley in Chinatown for your Chinese, and Souk at Covent Garden for Moroccan. For going out, I'm a big fan of Shoreditch personally, and also Brixton, but this is where I live, so I'm biased.

Avoid: Madame Tussauds, all those shitty overpriced restaurants around Leicester Square, the Trocadero, and if you have even the tiniest bit of vertigo, the London Eye.

[penelope-z.livejournal.com]

Oh, and did you visit the Victoria and Albert, and the National History museums last time? They are both worth it.

[kessie.livejournal.com]

Seconding Charing Cross Road and Hampton Court. I go to the Portrait Gallery when I can. Oh, also, the Hummingbird Bakery is awesome. Mmmm.

[lynndyre.livejournal.com]

221b Baker Street Sherlock Holmes Museum!! ...or maybe that's just if you're a dork like me. But I really liked it. ^.^ And the British Museum is fantastic, but I need to go back and spend about a week in it to see everything.

[seaskystone.livejournal.com]

Natural History Museum! It is amazing!

Also OMG YOU ARE IN MY COUNTRY? :O I am... potentially about? Not this coming weekend but after that.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

AND YES AWESOME. I have conference-stuff during the day on Saturday, and am leaving on Sunday, but maybe Saturday evening/Sunday morning?

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

I have never been to London, so please have fun on my behalf!